Tuberculin Unit International

The International Unit (IU) is a unit of measurement of tuberculin activity in the international standard. It is used to compare the activity of different tuberculin preparations and determine their effectiveness in treating tuberculosis.

Tuberculin is a substance produced by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and used as a vaccine against tuberculosis. It contains antigens that trigger an immune response in humans, resulting in the formation of antibodies that protect against infection with tuberculosis.

Tuberculin activity is measured in international tuberculin units (IU). One such unit corresponds to the activity of 0.028 micrograms of a standard preparation of dry purified tuberculin (SIT). This standard was adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1982.

Determination of tuberculin activity is carried out by performing skin tests - tests in which a small amount of tuberculin is applied to a person's skin. Then it is determined how quickly the skin reacts to this substance - the faster the reaction, the higher the activity of tuberculin.

International tuberculin units are used to compare the activity of different tuberculin preparations. This allows you to determine which drug is best for a particular person and what level of protection it can provide.

In addition, international tuberculin units are also used to evaluate the effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment. If the activity of tuberculin after treatment decreases to a certain level, this indicates that the treatment was effective and the patient was cured.

Thus, the international tuberculin unit is an important unit of measurement of tuberculin activity and is used to determine the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment of tuberculosis internationally.

Units of measurement are an important part of human daily life. Every time we buy something, plan a trip, make an appointment, or measure something, we need specific units of measurement. These units are associated with metric and non-metric measurement systems, such as newton (N), kilogram (kg), meter (m), degree Celsius (°C) and so on.

There are several units of measurement of tuberculin in the international system (SI) around the world. One such unit is the Tuberculin Activity Unit International (EAI), which is a unit of measurement for the activity of tuberculins. This means that each EAI corresponds to the activity of one microgram of PPD-standardized purified tuberculin. The International Tuberculosis Unit (IEA) is used as a universal unit for international comparison of tuberculosis. This unit of measurement was adopted as the international system of units.

Tuberculin is a protein secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is used to diagnose and treat this disease. It can also be used as an allergen to test patients for passive immunity to tuberculosis. That is why tuberculin is an important medical drug. Therefore, it is necessary to control its activity so that it does not lose its properties. In this regard, the unit of tuberculin activity is taken to be pure and standardized tuberculin, which contains a specific active component. The unit of activity must be expressed in milligrams (mg) or micrograms (μg) of pure and standardized tuberculin per tube. Tuberculin activity is measured in tuberculin units (TU), which indicate the number of active microorganisms in a sample of material. However, different measurement systems exist between countries, so one tuberculin unit may lead to different results in different countries.

When dealing with tuberculin, it is important to be aware of the purification and standardization processes for this substance. Purification is the process of removing tuberculin residues from the blood and other microorganisms and impurities. After purification of tuberculin, they undergo a standardization stage, during which the degree of activity of a particular standard is determined from the point of view of tuberculosis bacteria - Koch's bacillus. If high tuberculin activity is determined to be more than 6 units or less than 4 units, it is sent for rechecking to confirm the results.

EAI serves as a measure of the activity of purified tuberculins, which are used not only for medical purposes, but also in scientific research. To do this, tuberculins are added to the immune serum to stimulate the system. This system is responsible for producing antibodies that penetrate TB bacteria and help the immune system fight them. Unfortunately, patients often develop allergic reactions to this drug, so when conducting allergy tests for tuberculin, it is always necessary to ensure a fairly high level of safety.